From Leslie, Larry and Rex

We spent over five weeks in Coastal Maine. The weather was perfect and there was no reason to leave.

Finally with extended rain in the forecast we headed to Nashville. The last leg of our drive seemed brutal. It could be we maxed out on driving. Going as far West as Idaho and then to Down East Maine, we put over 17,000 miles on the Touareg since May.

The Airstream is winterized and will spend the cold months in Clarksville. We are now in Evanston acclimating to large spaces again. Rex seems happy running up and down the long hallway of the condo.

My secret plan worked! Leslie is not wanting to leave Coastal Maine. We have been here over three weeks and don’t plan on leaving as long as the weather is so nice (70 during the day 50 at night). And now we have the leaf changing thing goin on.

I have not been posting much. It seems too much like bragging when our favorite places in the West are on fire and hurricanes have hurt so many.

We are hiking more and continue to enjoy our Lobster, blueberries (pies, muffins, pancakes, etc.) and Leslies new favorite, whoopie pie.

It has been over three weeks since the wedding in Nashville and here we are in Bar Harbor! For those that don’t know, this is one of my favorite places. Jane and I made many trips here. I came for three years after her death before the Airstream pointed me West. I am excited to be able to show off my local knowledge to Leslie and treat her to all things Lobster and Blueberry.

It was a journey. It seemed to me that we couldn’t decide wether to race to Maine or poke along. We ended up taking our time. In hindsight we should have hurried. Not to minimize the places we have been, but there was a little too much rain and fog along the Blueridge and Skyline Parkways. If you can’t see the vistas you should at least be smelling the ocean breeze.

We enjoyed it all and now we are here.

By the way I’ve had a few comment that if I don’t post often, you don’t know where we are. I do keep The Map tab above updated with our progress and campgrounds.

On the 18th of July we headed back East. We had the world famous Bass Lake Festival the last weekend in July and a special wedding near Nashville to attend on August 5. Happy to say both events exceeded my high expectations.

We left Nashville last Tuesday. We are heading Northeast. Slowly poking our way towards Maine. Today we are on the Blue Ridge Parkway, near Blowing Rock, NC. Luckily we didn’t make it to Charlottesville today.

I’ve been to Yellowstone six times. All in the last five years. When I think about what it is that attracts us, it’s obvious. When Leslie and I talk about going out West, Yellowstone is just assumed part of the trip. But Yellowstone is bigger than the National Park. It always includes everything around it, Jackson Hole, The Tetons, The Rivers, Bridger/Teton And Targhee National Forests, etc. Luckily, there is already a term for what I am trying to say: The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

So technically we were in Yellowstone NP only four days, we’ve been in the Ecosystem for three weeks. This last week, we have been on the backside of the Tetons, in Idaho.

If you are interested here is a good NPS link. Read it quick, while it still mentions things like Climate Change, Air and Water Quality and Protecting Wildlife.